AMA submission on the Data Availability and Transparency Bill 2020

This submission responds to the exposure draft of a Bill that creates an alternative pathway for the sharing and release of public sector data held by, on behalf of a Commonwealth Body, including sensitive health data. Unless stated otherwise, the Bill is intended to override all existing statutory secrecy provisions and restrictions on disclosure in the Privacy Act 1988 Cth. The AMA submission highlights a number of substantial weaknesses in the architecture of this proposed new pathway for sharing or releasing data. Unless these weaknesses are addressed, the AMA considers sensitive health data should be excluded from the proposed alternative data sharing scheme